


Which room is yours?

by makingitwork



Series: Bughead Prompts [58]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Assumptions, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Friendship, Getting Together, Little bit of angst, Mistakes, a lot of friendship, archie juggle friendship, betty archie friendship, bughead - Freeform, happy endings, meet cute, preslash, room mates, room sharing, varchie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 05:13:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16804294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makingitwork/pseuds/makingitwork
Summary: Betty meets Archie's roommate.





	Which room is yours?

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!

Betty's a nice person, she's always friendly and sweet and has her best Cooper smile to give anyone. She's always willing to give a helping hand, and over all, she thinks she's quite a pleasant human being. It's why she's course rep for her journalism degree and why most students at the immense NYU know her name. 

She's blonde Betty with the pastel sweaters and sweet smile and adorable dimples. 

That's what Veronica says, anyway. 

She'd met Archie in in one of their Rep meetings, he's the spokesperson for the football club, and they'd hit it off almost immediately. Well, his flirting had made Betty bashful and uncomfortable, but after she'd politely turned him down, she'd been pleasantly surprised by his easy-going and good-natured vibe. He'd beamed and hadn't brought it up again, and they'd gradually grown closer until they'd become quite good friends. 

So when they'd both realised they had essays due at the same time, he'd invited her over to his apartment so they could write their separate assignments together as a form of moral support. Betty had eagerly accepted. She always works a little bit better when she's with someone else who's working too, and soon enough they were on the elevator up to Archie's apartment. 

It's a nice building, a little way off campus and in a more expensive part of town. He's on the eighth floor and she's eager to see the view from this part of town. "My roommate, Jug, went back home yesterday," Archie says as it dings onto the correct floor and they both step out. 

Betty nods. "That's back in Riverdale, where you're both from?" 

Archie nods and Betty feels a little jealous. She doesn't really have any friends from her own hometown. It had been more of an escape when she turned eighteen and the only person she still keeps in contact with aside from her family is Cheryl, who'd seemed to hate the town as much as she had. Coming to New York had changed everything. She loves her course and she'd met the fashionable, iconic Veronica Lodge who was studying law and they'd hit if off instantly. Betty's proud to call her, her best friend. "He's probably gonna get back this evening," Archie sighs, shaking his head. "He's got a rough home life, I wanted to go with him but this essay counts for like 60% and-"

"Archie," Betty beams, squeezing his arm reassuringly. "You're a great friend, don't beat yourself up over this. I'm sure he understands. You've known him since you were eight, right?"

"Six," Archie admits with a small smile, as they reach his apartment door and he slots the key in. "We're like brothers, and he said he was okay with it, but I know that he puts on a front when it comes to his family..." 

Betty is so happy that Archie wasn't a douche when she politely said no. She's so happy that she's gotten the chance to know him better, because she never would have guessed from his toned, broad appearance that it was actually all a facade for a sweet, sensitive, song-writing darling that just wants to make everyone happy. His bulging muscles and abs, his tall stature and sports shirts conceal a boy who wants to save the world, and Betty is so relieved to know him. 

The apartment, as they step inside, is nice. It's wide and spacious with huge floor to ceiling windows that show the heights of the city and overlook all the beautiful buildings. There are window seats and Betty gravitates towards them so she can better appreciate how fall has let it's autumnal shimmer glide over the roofs and streets. Everything's been decorated in creams and whites and there's a little kitchen with a breakfast bar just near the sunken living room. "It's so much cleaner than I thought it would be for a boy's apartment," she teases, setting her backpack on the couch and watching as Archie kicks off his shoes and places them on the rack. 

"It's not always like this," Archie chuckles, "it can get really bad sometimes, and then my dad comes up and yells at Jug and me until we clean it up. We're trying to keep it this way for now though. D'you want something to drink?" He asks, padding into the kitchen and Betty wanders around a little, awkward in that way you are when you first enter a friend's place. 

"Uh, just water, thanks," she says, and notices the two doors on either side. Must be the bedrooms. One for Archie, one for the mysterious Jughead, and presumably ensuites from there. There are details of them dotted all over now that she looks. Most of the shoes on the top layer of the shoe rack behind the door are all sporty ones- Archie's presumably, and underneath is a line of beaten converse and one pair of dress shoes which she assumes are Jughead's. On the coat rack there's the orange jacket Archie always wears, and underneath that a dark coat she assumes is his roommate's. There are picture frames on the cabinets and she peeks at them, smiling widely at the sight of a younger, ganglier Archie with his arm swung over a much leaner, gawkier looking kid. 

She wonders if that's Jughead.

There's a picture of a dog, and a few trophies too- sports and music ones, and a little certificate for the being the winner of a short-story competition. She blinks in surprise. "Does Jughead write?" She asks, intrigued, as Archie heads down into the living room and sets their drinks down. 

"Yeah, he takes Creative Writing. He wants to be a novelist. Always has."

"Huh," Betty murmurs, not turning around. There's another picture, of a dark haired boy with his arm around a dark haired girl- siblings, she guesses. "Is this one Jughead?" She asks, pointing, and Archie jogs over to her, nodding. 

"Yeah, and Jellybean his sister. She actually goes to a boarding school near here. Full scholarship. She's as smart as Jug,"

 _Jellybean_ and _Jughead._ What unusual parents, she thinks. She doesn't pry, because from what Archie's already said, Jughead and his sister don't have the best home life and she doesn't want to intrude. Instead, the two of them head into the living room and get to work. 

The light of the early afternoon fades to darkness, and they fall into a comfortable, quiet amiable partnership of working and typing. Betty's actually pretty pleased with her essay on the history of the bias of journalism, and when Archie slams his laptop shut and shoves it away with a groan, she laughs and glances at the time; surprised to see it's been about six-hours of straight working. She saves her second read through and closes her own laptop more slowly. The two couches face each other, and she's become more comfortable in herself now that she's here, and she's stretched out along it, her laptop balancing on her stomach as she turns to look at Archie. 

Archie's more creative in his stance. He's upside down, his legs hooked over the back of the sofa and his back on the seat as his neck hangs down; rosy red as the blood rushes to it. "Oh god, at least it's over. I'm free." He moans.

Betty giggles, turning to look at the sparkling of the city lights out the window. She feels comfortably sated deep in her bones. "I'm happy we did this," she says through a yawn. "At home I never would have been able to do this in one sitting. I have to work with someone, and my roommate Veronica's out of town for a while." 

The red-head nods and strains his arm for the phone. "Should we order pizza or something? I'm starving." 

She sits up, excited by the idea and nods. "Ham and pineapple!" She cheers, and Archie shoots her a look. 

"That's _disgusting._ Meat feast." 

They look at each other before chiming in unison: "Half and half." 

And then Betty finds herself eating pizza and drinking root beer as they binge watch the trashiest Netflix movies they can find. She feels warm and buzzed and content and she's excited at having another close-friend. She should introduce Archie and Veronica, she thinks they might go well together. She's on her last slice, and Archie's already moved onto the leftover lasagne he had in the fridge, when he laughs so hard at the television screen he nearly chokes. Betty pats his back from where they're currently sitting on the fluffy rug, leaning against the couch and snorts at his predicament. "Sorry," he manages, draining his beer as he clears his throat. "Jug never lets me watch stuff like this." 

She arches an eyebrow and knocks his shoulder. "Who could tell _you_ what to do?" 

Archie rolls his eyes. "He'd let me, but he wouldn't let up about how there's so much more to cinema than movies like this. He's all about classics and arthouse stuff that just goes way over my head, you know? I swear he watches more black and white movies than colour ones. What century is he living in?" 

She laughs so hard her ribs hurt at the plaintive whine in his voice. The dark evening becomes a dark night, and when the credits start rolling on the third film, it's almost midnight and Betty realises with a jolt that she's going to have to go home in the cold and try her luck with the poorly scheduled night buses. Archie notices her biting her bottom lip and puts two and two together. "Hey, Betty, you should totally stay over," he says. 

She wonders suddenly, whether this was all a ploy, and them immediately scolds herself. Archie's been nothing but a gentleman. "I don't know..." she says, even though she wants to keep watching movies and hanging out with him, and not worry about getting mugged on the New York streets at night. "I don't have any of my stuff," 

He shrugs like that isn't even worth mentioning. "C'mon, you can sleep in my bed and I'll use my sleeping bag. You can borrow one of my shirts to sleep in too," he says, and she's grateful to how easy he makes all of this. They watch one more movie, and Betty can't remember the last time she's watched so many films, she feels like she's had a crash course on pop culture all in one night, and soon enough the two of them are in Archie's bedroom as he lays out his sleeping bag and pillow. 

"Do you really think you could hold a door open with a prosthetic leg like that?" Archie asks, rifling through his drawers for something for Betty to wear. 

She laughs, tugging her hair out of the pony tail and running her fingers through it, as she sets the hairband back down. "Maybe a really expensive one. More importantly, would the duct tape really help you scale a building?"

Archie looks thoughtful and Betty gasps jovially. 

"You are _not_ to try scaling this building with nothing but duct tape for grip, Archie Andrews!" She warns, and he laughs, tossing her a tee and some shorts. 

"Do you think those will be alright?" He asks, and she nods gratefully, ducking into the bathroom. He continues to give her his review of the last movie through the door as she tugs off her jeans and pulls on the shorts. She folds her jeans neatly, and then removes her blouse and unclasps her bra, slipping on Archie's tee. It's soft and enormous on her, displaying some band she's never heard of. She glances at herself in the mirror and rolls her eyes. She looks like a kid playing dress up, everything swamps her, but she's comfortable, and as she pads out, Archie's already in his sleeping bag, shirtless from what she can see, with his hands under his head, looking up at the ceiling and still fangirling about The Rock's acting. 

She sets down her clothes on the bedside table and slips into the bed. The blanket's thick and smells like boy's body wash, and she reaches over to flick out the light, plunging them into darkness. "Good night, Archie," she says fondly, curling onto her side. She hears him shuffle a little in the sleeping bag on the floor before he answers. 

"G'night, Betty."

He starts snoring almost immediately, but luckily for Betty, she finds it soothing. 

A few hours later, she wakes up thirsty from the pizza and sits up, blinking into the darkness. Archie's snoring is slow and even, and she feels warm and comfortable as she slips out, and tiptoes into the living room. She's surprised to see the light on in the kitchen, before she remembers Archie's roommate. Or at least, she hopes this is his roommate and not some intruder. But why would an intruder break into an apartment on the eighth floor? She rolls her eyes at herself, and walks out. The living room still smells a little of pizza and the boxes are stacked on the coffee table, and she turns to see the back of a tall, wiry figure rummaging through the fridge. 

She clears her throat, and has to bite back a laugh as he jumps. 

He stares at her, pressing the packet of bacon he'd holding to his chest. She's startled by how handsome she is, though she shouldn't be, really. In her experience, handsome boys are friends with handsome boys, and whilst Archie isn't her type, he's definitely handsome. This boy though, he's definitely handsome. He's got floppy black hair and big green eyes and a delicate nose. He's wearing dark jeans and a black leather jacket and has definitely just got in. She blushes as his eyes move up and down her, and she shifts a little, wondering what she looks like in these over-sized clothes. 

They just stare at each other for a long time, before Betty smiles. "Sorry if I scared you," she says, keeping her voice quiet but friendly all the same. "You're Jughead right? Archie mentioned you." 

Jughead nods slowly, his expression one she can't quite read. "Uh, yeah. That's me. Sorry if I woke you." 

"You didn't," she assures, "I just wanted some water." She steps towards him, nodding at the bacon in his hand. "Are you about to have a middle of the night fry up? Mind if I join?" 

He looks a little lost now, a bit confused, and Betty's got no real idea what to do in this situation. "I um..." he swallows thickly, before nodding. "Sure, yeah, please, sit." He gestures to the stools and Betty slips into the breakfast bar and as soon as Jughead's back is turned reaching for various dishes and turning on the stove, she hurriedly drags her fingers through her hair and rubs the sleep from her eyes to look a little bit more presentable. He pours her some water as the bacon's sizzling, and she accepts it gratefully. She's not particularly hungry, really, but the chance to spend time with this attractive man in leather is too inviting. "So, how'd you and Archie meet?" Jughead asks, setting out two plates on the counter. 

There are dark marks under his eyes and they look a little rimmed red. She wonders just how bad his visit home was. "In a rep meeting," she says brightly, "I'm the rep for Journalism, and Archie tells me you take Creative Writing? That must be amazing." 

Jughead nods, a small smile on his face. It lights up his features, and takes away some of the surly brooding vibe he has going on. "It's pretty good. Journalism sounds cool too. A regular Nancy Drew in our midsts." 

Betty laughs, delighted. "They were my favourite books growing up. I'm pretty sure everyone in my family knew this is where I was headed." 

He raises his eyebrows, nodding. "Any biting exposés you're working on?"

She shakes her head. "Archie and I were just working on our course work, so I haven't had the time. What about you? Archie mentioned a novel?" 

Jughead blinks, looking bemused. "Archie sure spends a lot of time talking about me. I'm flattered," he mutters dryly, moving to take the bacon off the heat and lay out some slices of bread. "Uh yeah, it's a bit of a crime thriller. Mysteries and stuff." A thought occurs to him as he hands her a plate and drags the other stool to sit opposite her. "I actually need a killer female detective. Should I base her off you?" 

He's kidding, clearly, but Betty still feels her cheeks go all warm. She bites into her bacon sandwich to distract herself and watches wide eyed as Jughead devours his in under a minute. He notices her looking, and looks a little embarrassed. 

"Sorry," he says contritely, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Travelling all day."

She finds it more endearing than anything else, to be honest, and nibbles at her own sandwich. The bacon is crispy, just the way she likes it. "Archie said you went back home? I haven't been home in two years, probably never will if I'm lucky," she says, because she doesn't want to leave him open to comment on this private journey. He looks at her with dark green eyes and reaches for his second sandwich. 

"Families can suck." He says after a long moment, and she nods in quiet agreement. 

They make more small talk for a while longer, eating and then washing up. She helps Jughead sort out all the pizza boxes and fix up the living room, lingering near him, before he keeps yawning and she knows he needs his sleep. She bids him goodnight, and tries to decipher the look in his eyes a she turns to head back into Archie's bedroom. 

He bids her goodnight quietly, and her heart flutters in her chest. 

All in all, she thinks he likes her. 

He's not there in the morning, as she and Archie eat breakfast, and she's too bashful to ask- besides, he probably needs the sleep, so she says her farewell and heads home. 

She and Archie continue to meet up. They go for jogs in the park and grab coffee at little cafes and meet up between lectures. Their sleepover has opened a door in the last stage of their friendship so they reach their ultimate level. She wishes she'd known Archie as a kid, because he's so non-judgemental and supportive and has a smile for everyone, and yet for some reason, seems happy to hang out with her and not the many, many other people she's certain would jump at the chance to be his friend. 

When she gets a high mark on her essay, he's the first person she calls. She would have called Veronica, but her friend is still away at one of her dad's cabins, and the emptiness in their apartment is something Betty doesn't enjoy. "Archie!" She beams into the phone, pacing happily. 

" _Betty?"_ He asks brightly, " _What's up? Everything okay?"_

"Yeah, I just- I got my essay back! I got a 91, I'm so happy!"

 _"Shit, Betty! Well done!"_ He cheers, and she smiles so hard it hurts. " _I got mine back too! 87, you gotta come over! We need pizza and movies to celebrate! Oh wait, let me just- Hey Jug, you don't mind if Betty comes over, right? She's just aced her essay!"_

Betty tries to slow her heart down at hearing Jughead's name. 

" _Cool! Come on over, Betty! Text me when you're downstairs!"_

She does come over. She gets changed first though, into a pretty summer dress that makes her legs look very long, just because, well....if Jughead's going to be there, then why not? It's a sunny day, and the warmth feels good on her skin, and soon enough she's being engulfed into Archie's arms as he hugs her. She hugs him back tightly, singing her praise at how well he's done, as they take the elevator up. 

When they step inside, Jughead's sitting on the window seat with his legs stretched out and his laptop on his knees. He's wearing a plaid shirt over an s tee and a pair of sweat pants. He looks soft and sweet and still a little bit surly. "Jug, this is Betty," Archie begins, closing the door and Betty waves. 

Jughead nods. "We met the other night," he says and Archie hums in surprise. 

Betty sets her bag down and tugs off her sandals and places them on the shoe rack, heading over to the couch she had last time and has thus claimed as her own. She tucks her knees underneath her and hooks her elbows over the back, looking at Jughead with a wide smile. "Working on your novel?" She asks. He's framed by the sunlight; suffused in a warm gold. "Have you made me a character yet?" 

He snorts, turning to her and she bites her bottom lip in pleasure as his eyes get stuck on the neckline of her summer dress. It's fairly modest, but inviting. Enticing enough for him, apparently. "I u-um," he clears his throat, and she feels confidently beautiful. "If you were a detective and you'd just found a boy's body in a freezer, with a bullet wound in his head, what would you say?" 

Betty cocks her head thoughtfully, before impishly replying. "This one ain't a cold case?" 

He laughs, unabashed and loud and looks at her with newly appraising eyes, like he thinks she's a little bit brilliant. She feels brilliant in the face of his appreciation. "Okay, my character is definitely saying that. I now know who to go to for biting one-liners." His easy smile disappears as Archie sets down a bowl of popcorn and collapses onto the couch opposite Betty. He turns back to his laptop, and Betty frowns, turning to help Archie set everything up. 

They scroll through Netflix, debating on what to watch before deciding on _Central Intelligence_ to continue their Dwayne Johnson obsession. Jughead groans loudly as it starts playing. "You seriously passed on American Psycho?" He grumbles, but he's setting down his laptop and Betty realises excitedly that he's coming to sit beside her. He kicks his legs up onto the coffee table and is close enough that Betty can feel the warmth he radiates. 

Archie groans, "Betty and I like it, so you're out-voted." 

Jughead flips him the bird. "At least I get a vote," he grins, winking at Betty and leaning forward to grab a handful of popcorn. "Well done on your essay, Betty." He says, "you and Archie did really well."

She likes how her name sounds coming from his mouth. "Thanks," she smiles, before they all fall into companionable silence. Around half way through the movie, Jughead slouches a little, and Betty leans back too so he can see, flashing him a smile. His eyes linger on his lips, before he smiles back too, soft and sweet. Their hands bump in the dappling sunlight, and neither of them pull away. 

Betty can't really focus on the movie, but this is nice. Her skin prickles all over and she can feel the electric live wire running between them. She thinks he might find her as attractive as she finds him. 

As the movie rolls to a finish, it's late afternoon, and they're in a pleasant haze of relaxation. "We should go out," Archie says, stretching his arms over his head and popping all his joints. "You up for a walk in Central Park, Betty?" 

She nods eagerly. It's too nice a day to be cooped up inside. 

"What about you, Jug?" Archie asks, turning off the tv. Jughead looks up in surprise. 

"What?"

"Come with us," Archie grins, leaning over to ruffle Jughead's hair as Betty laughs and slips her shoes on. "You're going to waste away in here, you need to go out. Breathe some fresh air." 

He rolls his eyes, and Betty hopes he says yes. "I went out two days ago," he retorts with a huff, but let's Archie haul him up. "Arch, are you sure you want me t-"

"Yup," Archie calls cheerily, and soon enough the three of them are walking through Central Park and talking about anything and everything. Betty walks between the two of them, feeling very small. Jughead's about six inches taller than her, and Archie even more than that, but the three of them get on well. She's never really had guy friends before, aside from Kevin, a guy she knows from work, but she likes it. They go through increasingly ludicrous hypothetical questions, songs they like, teachers they hate, their classes and the recent dreams and nightmares they have- mocking one another lightly and trying to interpret the sleep symbols. 

They're all sprawled out on the grass, Betty's picking dandelions and weaving them into a crown as Jughead gazes up at clouds and Archie attempts to trap an ant. "Tell me about your roommate," Archie says, as Betty places a stray dandelion on Jughead's nose and he bats her away fondly without looking. "Veronica, right?" 

Betty grins. "She's studying law here too, and she's my best friend. The most fashionable woman you'll ever see. Definite _Breakfast at Tiffany_ vibes." 

"You love that movie, don't you, Jug?" Archie says genuinely, and Betty frowns. She suddenly has a weird feeling. Is Archie trying to...to set Jughead up with Veronica? She thought Archie was asking about Veronica for himself, and now she's not so sure. Or maybe it has nothing to do with dating and he just wants another person to add to their little group of friends?

Veronica would make an excellent addition. "I love Truman Capote," Jughead corrects, his eyes closed and the sun casting shadows across his face. "But sure, you should bring her around, if you like, Betts." 

_Betts._ She likes it. "She should be getting back this Friday. Maybe we could do something this weekend?" Veronica would definitely be up for it. She's always going on at Betty to socialise more. And Archie is definitely Veronica's type, but...but who knows, maybe Veronica would like the leaner, more intense writer. She tries not to think about it. 

"Sounds good, you guys should definitely come over. We can watch some movies and then maybe go out to a club or something." 

"Archie," Jughead sighs, "I don't need you to set me up." 

Archie ignores him, and Betty bites her tongue. She doesn't understand anything. 

When they're back at the apartment, it's dusk, and they're still covered in bits of grass and leaves, and a light sheen of sweat from the heat. She understands their friendship a little bit better now, after seeing the two of them interact. Jughead's a little more sensible and down to earth, whilst Archie's got his head in the clouds and his dreams in the sky. Archie's all friendly and approachable and Jughead's more quiet and introspective. It doesn't seem like they should work, and yet Jughead becomes strangely talkative when Archie's around, he seems to settle a little better in his skin. And Archie can settle down and listen, unusually patient whenever Jughead is explaining something. 

It's as if they both switch being between the older, protective brother, and the younger, more vulnerable one. She watches as Jughead reads through Archie's work on his phone and diligently reminds him about various bills, whenever Archie gets too excitable. Then she watches as Archie grabs Jughead's hood whenever they get near a main road because for someone as perceptive as Jughead seems, he certainly seems unobservant. She watches as Archie coaxes smile after smile whenever the dark haired boy seems to get lost in his own thoughts. 

They're brothers. 

"Are you gonna stay over, Betty?" Archie asks once they get back in, "please? I need someone to protect me from Jughead's Tarantino infatuation." 

She giggles as Jughead grumbles, his voice muffled from inside the fridge. "He's a God, Archie," he chides. 

Archie snorts, and turns to Betty hopefully. "Same set up as last time?" He asks, and she nods. She's packed her toothbrush and her makeup pouch and her hairbrush, just in case she had to stay over. Jughead emerges from the fridge, his arms laden with food in spite of the fact that they'd each gotten an ice-cream on the way back. He looks between Archie and Betty with a weird look on his face and something warm seems to disappear. 

"I'm gonna get some writing done in my room," he says stiffly, before shuffling out of sight. Betty frowns, confused. She watches as he disappears from view and his door closes a touch too loudly. 

"Is he okay?" Betty asks, heading over to the couch. Her muscles feel sore in that good way, and she can still taste the cherry ice cream on her lips. 

Archie nods easily. "He needs downtime sometimes, after prolonged socialising," he teases, "don't worry, I'm sure he's fine. He definitely liked you." 

Betty crosses her legs and watches him excitedly. "You think?"

The freckled-boy nods, "definitely. He actually asked you about your gym routine, Betty. He's keen," he rolls his eyes, and Betty suddenly feels all warm and flustered, her heart's like a butterfly's wings, beating fast and beautiful. 

"I thought you were trying to set him up with Veronica or something," she admits, and Archie snorts. 

"Nah, Jug's not so keen on Breakfast at Tiffany types. Not when there's a pretty blonde right there," he gestures to Betty and she beams. "Veronica sounds cool though, that's her in your profile picture on Facebook, right? She's really beautiful." 

Betty winks. "I think she'd say the same about you, Archie." 

She feels much better, and they watch movies and Betty makes a vegetable stir fry (with extras for Jughead which she puts in the fridge), and talk about some ideas for the next rep meeting. She keeps an eye on Jughead's door all evening, but it doesn't open. 

Waking up in Archie's bed in the middle of the night gives her a striking feeling of deja-vu. She's in her own pyjama shorts and one of Archie's tees and she slips out of bed because she's pretty sure she can hear the hum of music playing quietly from the living room and she wants to see Jughead. Is she desperate? She doesn't feel desperate. She can just _feel_ something between them, and she likes him. 

Sure enough, he's perched on the window cill, typing away. The lamps on and there's gentle music playing from his laptop, and he's in his underwear and a faded tee, and his hair is all mussed. 

It feels intimate and excited and Betty clears her throat, heading towards him. He doesn't jump this time, just looks at her. His eyes drag up and down her body like he can't help it and she feels warm all over, goosebumps spreading along her shoulders. "You're up late," she greets, wondering if her hair looks like the birds nest it feels like. 

"Night owl," he murmurs, shifting his laptop off his lap and dragging his knees up to his chest. She realises that it's an invitation for her to join him, and she does so happily. Their knees end up bumping and twining together and it's a tight fit, but she likes it. They're facing each other, and she feels her face blush under the weight of his stare so she turns to look out at the twinkling city lights. It's more beautiful than she remembered. "If you felt something for someone," he begins quietly, and she looks at him with wide eyes, "but it couldn't happen, how would you tell them?" 

Her heart plummets, and he must see it on her face because he turns to look out of the window. "Juggie..."

"Archie's my best friend," he whispers, swallowing thickly. "He's my brother, you know? And I..."

She doesn't really get what Archie has to do with this. Is this because he asked her out once? But he doesn't like her like that anymore, she's certain of it. "Archie wouldn't mind," she says honestly, and Jughead looks at her with surprise on his face. 

"What?"

"He wouldn't. He's interested in Veronica, anyway, we're just-"

"Oh." Jughead cuts her off, looking a little stunned and flustered. "Just...wow, I didn't realise anyone did that outside of the movies." He nods, like he's trying to take it all in, and Betty's a little bit confused. "Well, I mean...that's...sorry, it's a bit..." his eyebrows furrow together, and his lips downturn at the corners. He looks small and sad. "N-not to be judgemental at all, but I just...I think maybe I'm a bit more old fashioned." 

She cocks her head. "What do you mean?" 

"I think I'd want more than just- not that you're not beautiful, because you are, really, but I'd want more, I think." He admits like it's difficult, and she likes that he thinks she's beautiful, but she can't comprehend anything else he's saying. 

She's going to ask, but then he's leaning forward and kissing her. His lips are soft and his hands are touching her neck reverently, and she melts into him. Everything's perfect. The city lights outside, the music from his laptop, the intimacy of the late hour, and the way he kisses her like he thinks she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. The electric wire twists and stretches between them, blazing brightly, and Betty leans into him, her hands coming up to tangle in his perfect hair. 

When they pull away, their noses brush, and Jughead's breathing gently. 

Archie snores particularly loudly. 

Jughead pulls away and guilt flashes across his face. He untangles their legs and gets up, breathing more harshly and looking immensely trouble. "Fuck," he hisses, touching his lips. "I shouldn't have done that- that was- I shouldn't have, shit, _shit."_ Suddenly tears are shining in his eyes and Betty hurries to stand up and comfort him. 

He wrenches away from her though, clutching his heart like it hurts. "Juggie, what's wrong? I don't understand, Archie-"

His name seems to send a fresh jolt of pain through Jughead who groans. "You know something," he begins, tears on his cheeks and despair in his voice, "the first time I saw you I thought _god_ she's beautiful. And then I look down and you're wearing _his_ shirt, and you're sleeping with _him,_ and if it was anyone else I might have asked you out anyway, but it's Archie, and I can't do that to him. He talks about you all the time, and you look perfect together, but- I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help myself, how could I? _Look_ at you, but I think if I have to keep seeing you with him I'll die-"

Betty cups his face in her hands and realises she's crying too, just at the sight of his sadness. "Juggie," she manages, laughing wetly, "Archie and I are just friends, not a couple, not-" she gets what he thought, and resists the urge to laugh, "-friends with benefits- he's in his room in a sleeping bag right now," everything's making sense suddenly, and she thinks this boy is the sweetest thing she's ever seen. "We're just friends." She reiterates firmly. 

He stares at her, hope glinting in his eyes. "So, then..."

She tiptoes to kiss him, and marvels at how much can happen after meeting someone twice. 

When they pull apart, he's smiling, and he presses their foreheads together. "Can I take you on a date sometime, Betty?" He asks, taking her hand into his and twining their fingers together. "Considering the fact you're not currently in a fuck-buddy situation with my best friend." 

She laughs, nodding. "I'd like that." 

Dating Jughead is better than she thought it could be. The more they get to know each other, the more they find their personalities are complimentary. Archie is over the moon when he finds out they're dating, and he teases Jughead for ages for the mistake. 

Veronica and Archie, as Betty predicted, get along like a house on fire. Betty's not sure what she expected from Archie as a boyfriend, but watching the way he looks at Veronica, the way he drops whatever he's doing to go to her when she needs him is something that makes Betty very happy. Veronica is her best friend, always will be. Though she can seem icy and a little cold on the surface, the raven-haired girl has a heart of gold, and she's thrown herself into helping Archie promote his music. They make a formidable pair. 

Betty helps too, and soon the whole apartment is working on posters and advertising. B and V, back together again. They do everything together, so it's only fitting that the two of them have started dating at pretty much the same time. 

As Veronica is the newest addition in their friendship, Betty worries that she and Jughead might not get on. She wants them too, because everyone else does, but she can't quite picture it. She doesn't get it for a long time, until one day she and Archie get back from their jog early, to see Jughead and Veronica both kneeling by the coffee table and working. 

Archie frowns, wiping the sweat off his face and looking pleased, but confused. "What are you guys working on?" 

"Jughead's joining debate with me," Veronica beams, looking over at Jughead fondly. "We realised we have a talent for arguing each other, so we'd make the perfect debate team." 

Jughead nudges her, looking happy and thoroughly intellectually stimulated. "I'd like to see anyone take us down." They fist-bump. 

Betty smiles. 

Jughead waits outside Betty's lectures for her, with his laptop and a smile, and he carries Betty's books and asks her how she is and Betty feels like a teenager, only this time everything's going right. She sends him selfies and he always calls her afterwards to tell her how beautiful she looked, even when covered in face cream and with wet hair. She finally manages to get him to let her read his novel so far, and she cuddles into his arm and watches him work, awed by his way of story telling. They confide in each other about their families and navigate healthier outlooks together. She gets to meet the infamous Jellybean and is inordinately pleased at another female gear-head in the city, and they work together on Jughead's bike and Archie's car.

Betty and Jughead kiss under doorways and hold hands on hot days and stay up till way too late texting and talking. 

Until one day, one day _finally -_

she spends the night in the right room. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comment you lovely beasts! 
> 
> Mwah  
> x


End file.
